Dairy Cattle

Evaluation Nebraska Career Development Event

Handbook and Rules for 2018-2021

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of the Dairy Evaluation CDE is to provide a competitive event

for agricultural education students which emphasizes skills in dairy cattle

management and evaluation.

2. OBJECTIVES

a. To provide a practical experience to students enrolled in agricultural education with an

interest in dairy cattle to help prepare for industry positions or in management of a modern

dairy herd.

b. To develop students’ skills in observation, analysis, communication and team collaboration.

c. To provide experience in the evaluation of dairy cattle type, production records and dairy

herd management.

3. ELIGIBILITY

a. Any agricultural education student enrolled in an agricultural education class may compete

in this CDE. As this event occurs at the Nebraska State Fair in August, agricultural

education students who graduated the previous spring are eligible to compete.

b. Students who have competed in a previous National Dairy Evaluation CDE are not eligible

to participate in the Nebraska Dairy Evaluation CDE.

c. Each school may enter one team of 4 contestants who will compete in all areas of the Dairy

Evaluation CDE.

d. Each school may also enter up to 4 additional contestants who will complete the individual

components of the contest and will be eligible for individual awards only.

e. As this contest is held in conjunction with the State 4-H Dairy Judging contest, eligible

students may participate in both contests as long as they meet entry requirements.

f. To insure that students participating in both the FFA and 4-H portion of the contest are

eligible, any potential alternates to the FFA teams must be listed at the time of registration.

g. Registration fees for the contest are $5 per individual.

4. REQUIRED ATTIRE

a. For the placing and oral reasons portion of the contest, contestants are required to wear the

current State Fair t-shirt which will be provided to the contestants. Contestants competing in

both the FFA and 4-H portions of the contest may wear either the FFA or 4-H State Fair t-

shirt.

h. For the team portion of the contest, teams may wear their State Fair FFA t-shirts, Official

FFA Dress, Chapter FFA t-shirts or polos, or other appropriate attire.

5. REQUIRED SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT

Each contestant should have a writing instrument and notebook for note taking during the

contest.

6. EVENT SCHEDULE

a. Entries are due to the contest superintendent by August 10.

b. Team scenarios will be emailed to entered teams on August 11.

c. The contest will take place during the first weekend of the Nebraska State Fair in

conjunction with the State 4-H Dairy Evaluation contest.

a. The team activity and individual tests will take place the morning of the contest date.

b. The judging and oral reasons portion of the contest will the afternoon of the contest

date.

c. Awards will be given at the conclusion of the contest.

6. EVENT SCHEDULE

8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Team presentations and individual written exam; exact time to be

designated for each school.

12-12:15 p.m. Judging Contest Registration

12:15-12:30 p.m. Judging Orientation

12:30-2 p.m. Judging of classes

2-2:15 p.m. Break (Contestants will move to a different location to give oral reasons.)

2:15-4 p.m. Oral Reasons Given

5:00-6:30 p.m. – Dairy Contest Awards Ceremony

7. ANNUAL THEME

The team presentation will be based on a topic similar to the National FFA Dairy Evaluation

topic for that year. Topics known at this time are:

2017: Feed/Nutrition

2018: Housing/Facilities

2019: Health/Diseases

2020: Genetics/Reproduction

2021: Young Stock Management

8. EVENT FORMAT

a. The management test will contain 50 questions - 40 industry related questions and 10

questions using a dairy herd record evaluation sheet to evaluate individual cows (similar to

the team problem from contests prior to 2012).

b. Each contestant will place six classes of dairy cattle.

c. Each contestant will give three sets or oral reasons.

d. Each team will be provided a dairy farm management scenario to identify problems and

determine possible improvements. Teams should assume the role of a hired consultant

advising a producer (judges). Teams will have 10 minutes to complete their presentation,

with an additional five minutes allowed for questions.

9. SCORING

a. Each question of the management test will be worth 2 points, for a total of 100 points

possible.

b. Each class of cattle Is worth 50 points, for a total of 300 points possible.

c. Each set or oral reasons is worth 50 points, for a total of 150 points possible.

d. The team presentation is worth 200 points. The team presentation will be scored using the

following rubric:

Indicators Very Strong

19 – 25 points

Strong

13 – 18 points

Fair

7 – 12 points

Poor 0 – 6 points

Score Weight Total Score

General Appearance

Everyone neat and properly dressed

Most of the team neat and properly dressed

Some of the team neat and properly dressed

Few to none of the team members neat and properly dressed

* 1

Value of Information

Does an excellent job with supplying information for the problems

Does a good job of supplying information for the problems

Does a fair job of supplying information for the problems

Does a poor job of supplying information for the problems

* 2

Effectiveness Information provided in a very convincing manner

Information provided in a strong manner

Information provided but is not very convincing in presentation

Information given in a very poor manner

* 2

Distribution of Activity

All team members participate in presentation

Only 3 members participate in presentation

Only 2 members participate in presentation

Only 1 team member presents the presentation

* 1

Response to Questions

All questions are answered confidently and correctly

Most of the questions are answered confidently and correctly

Some of the questions are answered confidently and correctly

Few if any of the questions are answered confidently and correctly

* 2

e. Total possible points per individual is 550.

f. Total possible points per team is 2400 (4 contestants @ 550 points each plus team

activity worth 200 points)

10. TIEBREAKER

If needed, the following tiebreakers will be used in the order listed:

a. Total reasons score

b. Lower placing score on reasons classes

c. Written test score

d. Total placing score

e. Team ties will be broken using the same criteria as stated above, using the team

totals in each area.

11. RESOURCE MATERIALS

A thorough list of resources is listed in the rules for the National FFA Dairy Evaluation CDE

information. Possible resources include the Hoard’s Dairyman magazine and Animal Science

textbooks, websites, or other publications.

12. PAST EXAMS

A copy of the exam will be emailed to all participating chapters following the completion of the

contest. Others wishing to obtain past exams need to contact the contest superintendent.

13. POST-CDE DEBRIEFING OPPORTUNITY

a. Official placings of the classes will be shared following the completion of the contest.

b. Copies of the judges’ critique sheets will be sent to the participating schools as soon as

possible after the contest.

APPENDIX

Appendix 1. Practice Exam

Appendix 2. Dairy Herd Record Evaluation

DAIRY CATTLE EVALUATION - HERD RECORD EVALUATION

Test Date - 7/21/17

Cow Body Test Day Evaluation Current Lactation Mature Equivalent

ID Condition Milk Fat % Protein % SCC Fresh Days Milk Fat Protein Days Age at Milk Fat Protein Relative

Score 1000's Date In Milk Pounds Pounds Pounds Bred Calving Pounds Pounds Value %

100 3.5 51.3 5.6 3.9 50 3/18 338 19652 924 631 186 2-02 21500 983 663 97

107 1.0 79 4.2 3.6 115 3/30 326 24113 958 720 219 2-01 27178 1069 780 132

111 3.5 50.1 4.7 4.3 187 5/20 275 14261 584 503 249 2-02 19102 785 672 92

113 2.5 74.2 4.0 3.6 187 7/8 226 14907 519 493 251 2-03 25724 903 853 125

116 2.5 62.3 3.5 3.2 283 6/14 250 15516 577 455 246 2-01 23543 850 673 93

119 3.0 59.8 4.4 3.5 373 5/22 273 17498 647 572 281 1-11 24512 913 784 101

122 3.5 58.4 3.6 3.9 13 6/21 243 14221 475 497 209 2-00 22264 746 767 98

126 1.5 48.8 3.6 3.4 18 8/22 181 8678 281 276 153 2-01 18154 602 582 70

130 2.5 93.2 4.3 3.6 18 6/20 244 16398 658 533 264 1-11 28070 1129 906 162

138 2.5 57.2 3.7 3.4 44 6/19 245 16941 536 530 282 1-09 27105 964 921 91

141 3.5 63.8 5.2 3.6 429 8/20 183 10369 400 337 183 1-11 23061 985 767 114

147 3.0 51.9 4.6 3.8 746 8/5 198 9629 394 338 197 1-10 19878 828 715 94

149 3.5 57.1 3.2 3.1 13 10/1 141 8662 307 277 158 2-00 20714 704 639 80

151 4.0 50.2 2.7 2.9 14 10/13 129 6383 181 193 165 2-00 17521 507 508 61

154 3.5 76.5 3.9 3.4 93 10/7 135 8319 323 279 174 2-00 23756 900 788 122

161 2.5 66.7 3.7 3.2 27 10/20 122 8126 285 255 158 1-11 23195 826 724 100

166 2.5 57.1 4.2 3.6 123 10/20 122 6009 243 211 206 1-11 18867 765 663 93

168 3.5 60.7 3.1 3.2 13 10/21 121 5940 220 205 158 1-11 19499 658 633 90

754 1.0 45.3 4.4 4.0 246 11/29 447 37923 1352 1270 225 5-10 27207 949 897 80

792 3.0 37.6 4.2 3.9 174 12/4 442 35407 1212 1088 230 5-04 26396 862 784 54

823 1.5 72 2.4 3.7 35 5/4 291 23567 785 718 165 5-04 24562 816 764 98

874 3.5 60.3 4.2 3.8 2425 2/2 382 35002 1245 1031 234 4-06 29116 1017 828 94

927 2.5 46.7 5.6 4.1 1393 6/6 258 12741 574 469 153 4-03 15511 726 573 90

934 3.0 103.5 3.7 3.7 857 8/19 184 17147 568 570 158 4-05 30186 1023 1048 171

954 3.5 92.4 5.7 3.3 123 9/18 154 14402 632 472 187 4-03 26660 1281 872 172

956 2.5 95.4 4.7 3.5 15 9/24 148 15499 664 518 153 4-03 28642 1243 972 164

957 2.5 74.1 3.9 3.5 2599 8/19 184 15604 571 499 153 4-01 25662 943 841 112

974 2.5 74.2 3.8 3.2 2111 9/7 165 12220 386 397 257 4-00 21709 727 696 110

987 4.5 56.3 3.7 3.4 9052 8/3 200 15333 480 497 153 3-09 23044 740 745 81

988 2.5 42.2 4.3 3.9 100 10/13 494 39781 1445 1309 225 2-11 32284 1152 993 69

993 3.0 44.2 5.7 4.8 348 1/8 407 28876 1190 995 153 3-02 25376 1015 808 91